


Adore

by Whisperyourscreams



Series: Little Gifts [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Best Friends, Budding Romance, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Peter/MJ - Freeform, Spideychelle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 18:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisperyourscreams/pseuds/Whisperyourscreams
Summary: Peter started to notice the little things MJ did for him more often after that first unexpected exchange.





	Adore

**Author's Note:**

> The second in the Little Gifts series. You should probably read in order to understand references but I mean, you do you.

After the night with the tractor, Peter noticed the little things she did for him more often. Either that or she just started being less stealthy about it. He caught MJ staring at him even more. It made his stomach twist and drop like that time he was seven and snuck on a roller coaster he was way too small to ride. Not so different from the sensation he felt every time he was out swinging around on patrol. Except his feet were firmly planted on the ground and there weren't any webs or roller coasters involved.

It was too cheesy to say she made him feel like he was flying but it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate. She still came over, still borrowed his bed to read or sketch while he and Ned did whatever they felt like doing, but he noticed her eyes on them more and more. She didn't flip the pages as often or her pencil stayed poised at one point of contact and barely moved over the sketchpad.

Peter watched her more too. It started slowly, just a glance to see if she was looking that somehow turned into a full on staring contest between them. He usually turned away first, she was intense when she wanted to be. Things had changed since that night with the LEGO set. He felt a little bad but sometimes he ignored Ned's texts just to answer MJ's. That was another thing, a new thing. He answered her consistently and she started sending him memes and videos instead of the usual cryptic message. She'd call and he'd answer or call her back.

He was also pretty sure she knew about the Spider-Man thing but she never said and he never asked nor confirmed. He thought about it but it just never seemed like the right time to bring it up and if she already knew then it didn't matter. It was in the way she tilted her head when he had to leave in the middle of something, like she knew exactly why he was leaving or where he was going. She was too smart, too perceptive.

Ned asked about the tractor on his shelf once when MJ was over, curled up on his bed with a laptop across her thighs. She quickly changed the topic of conversation. Ned either didn't notice, or decided it wasn't worth unpacking. That was a few weeks ago and it hadn't been mentioned since. But it plagued his thoughts almost daily.

If she had planned to give them both the LEGO set then why didn't she tell Ned? He'd expected her to use it as some form of ammunition against their friend for backing out on their ritual hangouts. She hadn't. And now a small part of him hoped that meant she wanted their night alone to remain strictly between them.

The second time Michelle gave him something, it was in the middle of their first class of the day. He sat next to her every day because Ned wasn't in that class. Normally, nothing monumental ever happened. They'd steal glances, smile when the teacher said something ridiculous and occasionally snicker to themselves over an inside joke.

However, MJ must have known he overslept and skipped breakfast after a rough night. He'd also skipped dinner...again, rough night. Without a word she slid a granola bar and a juice box onto his desk when the teacher wasn't looking.

"I can hear your stomach all the way over here." Heat filled his cheeks and spread down his neck but she offered a tilt of her lips and he felt it again. He was flying while still firmly planted in his chair. "Don't want you passing out or whatever."

"Sorry," he said, taking the snacks. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Seriously, like don't."

"I mean it MJ,thank you." He smiled, hoping she'd smile back but she ducked her head and returned to writing in her notebook.

"Shut up before you get us in trouble."

He didn't get them in trouble. He was too busy wolfing down the granola bar before the teacher could turn around. He didn't mention it again, not even at lunch when it was more than obvious she'd given him half of what she'd packed to eat for the day. Peter had almost said something but one look from MJ and he'd quickly closed his mouth. She still stole the apple from his tray with a smirk. He let her. He could have totally stopped her if he wanted, he just didn't. Not that he would ever stop her from anything. Unless it was dangerous.

From that day on, she started bringing extra snacks and no one mentioned it. She'd toss them at his head in first period or pass them to him in the hallway. It seemed to depend on her mood. If she was annoyed with him, headshot. He wasn't really ever sure what he did that bothered her but sometimes she'd stare at him with her eyes narrowed in a way that made his stomach do somersaults for at least six minutes.

It wasn't until the third incident that he started to notice a pattern. She asked him to stay back after decathlon so he helped while she stacked chairs and cleared the table they'd gathered around. Things were quiet, a little awkward when his hand bumped hers. They both froze, looked up at each other and quickly looked away again.

"Why did you want me to stay?"

"Oh, uh, I have something for you." Michelle never seemed nervous, but he watched her wring her hands together before she grabbed her bag. "Just don't...don't make it a big deal, yeah?"

"I won't." Peter waited, he let her take her time digging around in the backpack and tried to think of what it could possibly be. She’d already given him snacks, let him borrow a pencil, and threw a paper ball at him when he dozed off in class. He kept it, not that he would ever tell her that.

She pulled out a book and glanced over at him. His forehead crinkled in confusion as she stepped closer, holding the book close to her stomach.

"I read this and thought you might like it. I don't really know if you're a book guy but I just thought...uh, I don’t know. Just take it.” MJ shoved the book against his chest, giving him no choice in the matter.

“Oh, thank you.” He didn’t look at the book, he kept his eyes on her as she pushed her hair behind her ear for the thirteenth time since practice started.

“I have to go.”

“We walk out the same way.” It was said with a shrug of his shoulder, an answer to the way she stumbled when he began to follow her out.

“Right.”

After approximately two minutes of walking in silence, Peter glanced down at the cover of the book in his hands. The one she’d read and now wanted him to read.

“MJ, um, I-”

“You don’t have to read it but if you do, text me about it.”

“Like a book club?”

“No,” she said, too fast, a little too loud. “Okay, look, I don’t have any other friends and I _need_ to talk to someone about this book. I do really think you’ll like it.”

It didn’t bother him that she didn’t have other friends. It only bothered him that nobody seemed to realize just how awesome she was. Dorky, a little scary, but awesome. His heart thumped faster and he gave her a smile. If no one else noticed Michelle, it was just a win for him...and for Ned. They were all friends.

“I’ll try to start it tonight.”

“Okay.” MJ picked up the pace and made it to the doors before Peter did. She pushed one open and held it for him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, MJ.”

Later that night, he sat on his bed with the book open in his lap and his phone in his hand. He was halfway through chapter one when his brain caught up. It was the third time she’d initiated a shift in their friendship by giving him something. First it was a LEGO set, then a snack, and now it was a book.

Peter slipped a scrap of paper between the pages to mark his place. He wasn’t the best at deciphering signals in personal friendships or relationships. However, he was pretty sure it all meant she cared in some way. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling weightless and in flight every time their eyes met.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter if you want to see random Spider-Man, Marvel, or Euphoria stuff. @ mjheartspeter


End file.
